Individuals and institutions are in constant need of information and access to each other and to services worldwide. This critical need for information and access is seemingly limitless and ever present as a consequence of technological advances in communication and connectivity. Nowhere in our society is this need more strongly felt and observed than by Internet and wireless or cellular telephony users everywhere, however, no system is available to serve their needs.
Due to the demand for information, directory assistance is one of the fastest growing segments of the traditional wireline telephone industry. Revenues have exceeded three billion dollars with an estimated call volume in excess of 8 billion inquiries per year. However, the traditional wireline industry is rapidly coming under competitive pressure for use and convenience from the wireless industry.
The cost of service for wireless communication is dramatically decreasing while the features provided are increasing. In addition, wireless communication can offer benefits that wireline cannot. These include 24-hour access in any location, insignificant or non-existent long distance and roaming fees, and in some cases number portability.
The problem with wireless communication that is addressed by the present invention is that there is currently no method for wireless subscribers to engage in commerce by use of their wireless phone number or to access a subscriber, or the number of another wireless subscriber in the same or desperate provider network. This is a significant problem, since wireless service providers have seen the number of domestic subscribers increase to the current 72 million, all without a listing in a directory assistance. Wireless subscribers include traveling professionals, small independent business people, parents, children and “nomadic” students, each with specific needs for connectivity and information, but all of which are entirely inaccessible to the general population unless an information source is developed.
Another problem with traditional telephone directories is the constant demand to maintain and update the called party data. Presently, directory information is limited to traditional wireline services and further limited to include only names and telephone numbers. Due to the dramatic escalation in wireless pre-paid and post paid subscribers and the ever-increasing mobility and demand for services of these subscribers there is an enormous demand for accurate and up-to-date subscriber data, which is addressed by the present invention.
Another problem with traditional telephone directories is obtaining the desired number of the person or company you wanted with only limited information of their identity. In 1997, AT&T introduced 00Info. This service was exclusive to AT&T customers only as an alternative to existing directory services such as “411” and “555-1212” and provided access to local and national numbers as well as address and zip code information. As an additional service, AT&T customers could search for a listing by just the spelling of the listing. In 1998, Sprint began to offer their customers national listings in over three thousand communities, and MCI introduced 10-10-9000 for both MCI and non-MCI customers.
Although these systems provide telephone number and some limited address information, none can provide directory access to wireless telephone subscribers, provide subscriber selected information back to a caller, or direct communication to the subscriber to selected locations such as a home telephone, cell phone, email address, facsimile device, subscriber managed contact information, or e-commerce transaction streams, all of which and more are addressed and solved by the present invention.